Can punch



Sept. 1952 T. KASKOURAS 2,611,950

CAN PUNCH Filed April 9, 1951 Patented Sept. 30, l52

UNITED.

1 My invention relates to an opener for cans and bottles which will remove the top of a bottle, pierce the top of a can to provide an opening therein or remove the top of a can by piercing its entire circumference.

It is among the objects or my invention to provide a can and bottle opener which is capable of performing three diiierent functions in the opening of cans and bottles. My device may be used to open a bottle which has been sealed with a cap in the conventional manner, such as a soft drink bottle. When so used, my opener does not damage the cap in any way and the cap may be replaced on the bottle to provide a seal which will preserve the remaining contents of the bottle.

My device may also be used to provide one or more openings in the top of a can for the purpose of removing the contents. This is customarily done with beer cans or cans containing liquids- '-'i:

My device may also be usedto open aconventional can, such as a can containing food, by cutting a series of openings around the entire circumference of the top so that the top may be removed. When so used my opener may be operated in either direction to accommodate right or left handed persons. When cutting the edge of the top of the can, my device crimps the inside out portions against the inner side edge of the can so that no rough edges protrude.

My invention also contemplates such other objects, advantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear and which are inherently possessed by my invention.

While I have shown in the accompanying drawing a preferred embodiment of my invention, yet I wish it understood that the same is susceptible of modification and change without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a top plan view of my device; Fig. 2 is a side elevational view; Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view; Fig. 4 is an elevational View of one end; Fig. 5 is an elevational view of the. opposite end; Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional View taken on line 6-45 of Fig. 1; Fig. 7 is a detailed sectional view taken on line 'l1 of Fig. 2; Fig. 3 is a detailed sectional View taken on line B--8 of Fig. 2; Fig. 9 is a detailed view of one end in use opening a beer can; Fig. 10 is a detailed view of the opposite end in use opening a food can; Fig. 11 is a top plan view of the opposite end in use opening a food can and Fig. 12 is a detailed view of one end of my device removing a bottle cap.

1 Claim. (01. 30-16 The embodiment selected to. illustrate my vention comprises a horizontalv bottom frnernber l8. Positioned above horizontal bottom member Hi and spaced therefrom by'spacing members ii and id is a horizontal top memberflsfwhich is attached to horizontal bottom member Hi by pairv of rivets id and it. Both horizontal bottom member it and top member 43 arepreierably madeofstee.

Horizontal bottom member H3 has a level cenf tral portion it extending between spacing'mem bers ii and, E2. Extending integrally beyond said level central portion it are a pair 'of short hoot: portions it and i8, which extend outwardly and diagonally upwardly from level centralportion id; The endsof hookp ortions jl and. [3 are curved, inwardly from their'edgestofform inwardly arced'ends l9 and 20.. M I

Horizontal top member l3.has ailevel central portion 2i which extends beyond'fthe ended}! and 2E5 of bottom member it; onegend of top. member i3 extends beyond arced mains reatom member iii and curved downwardly and pointed to form a hook 22.

In use, the level central portions It and 2! of my opener are used as handles to provide leverage. Arced end it of bottom member ID is positioned against the lower edge of the bead or rim which extends around the top of a carrot beer or other liquid. Hook 22 is positioned so that it extends over the top of the can. My opener is then pivoted on arced end l9 by an upward movement, causing hook 22 to pierce an opening in the top of the can. A second opening may be made in the same manner to facilitate the entry of air into the can and the removal of the liquid contents therefrom.

The same end of my opener may be used to remove the cap of a bottle such as one containing a soft drink. When so used, my opener is positioned so that arced end 19 of bottom memher If] is beneath the corrugated bottom edge of the bottle top and hook 22 extends across the entire bottle top.

When my opener is moved upwardly, it pivots at the point where the end of hook 22 contacts the bottle cap. Arced end I9 of bottom member Hi catches beneath the corrugated edge of the bottle cap and lifts it upwardly to remove it from the bottle. It should be noted that hook 22 does not puncture or damage the top of the bottle cap. The cap remains unharmed and may be replaced on the top of the bottle by a sharp blow to renew the sealing of the bottle.

The opposite end of my opener is used to open food cans by cutting a continuous opening around all or substantially all of the circumference of the top of the can. The end of top member 13 which is positioned above arced end 20 of bottom member comprises 9, downwardly turned lip 23, which is positioned a short distance beyond arced end 20.

A cutting member 24 has a base portion 25 and a blade 26, which extends at a right angle to base 25. Base:25 isprovided with an opening through which rivet: l4 passes. The opening in base'25 is slightly larger than rivet M, to permit some movement of cutting member 24.

Blade 26 is provided with a sharpened lower edge which is triangular in shape, so that it cuts in either direction. Blade 26 has a pair-pf upright members 2'! and 28, which extend upwardly along the side edge of top member 1-3 toprevent cutting member 24 from being accidentallydisplaced.

.A lea sprin 21 a a z hare. wi h an pen ailmen ee he it tensi g e n ri e i ln time bstr v res hro gh b t p in swhe l o i i ed,.lea s n sb l u de te si ibet ee th l we su a of a 2 f iinsmembe an t u er r a efbeti 'membe w.

ll ea si can o ene y d i is nos tioned so that areed end "20 of bottom member bears against the lower edgegf the-bead or rim men th tan .Q sea and t in m mis pqsitiqned ahoiie the top. of the can, on the opposite side o f= the rim from arced 81 d? ii.

ween the opposite endof my openeris moved ward y. v t '1 :to m datthe the: er ar e e dfi v Pnt s-th tt m ed th rim of .th pea 38 M 1 attips m mbe 2 pivoted downwardly to cut a, triangular opening i th p o e c :Mypne sr a thenm e pi .i e her r gh .q le hand direction :fi illld' the t 9 t e can to a e a t n us sa a oun its eir w afere c when my .qnen s p v e a dbla i ut into the top of the can, an outward pressure is exerted against it by the rim of the can, causing base of cutting member 24 to move downwardly against the pressure of leaf spring 21. This permits blade 26 to point directly downwardly at all times during the cutting operation. Because of the directly downward movement of blade 26, the edges of the can which are cut by blade 26 are crimped to lie flat against the inside e eof. the can and no roughedges rotrude into the-interior of the can when the'top-has been removed.

A plastic, wood or metal insert may be fitted into my device between bottom member In, top member I3 and spacing members II and i2 to improve'the appearance or to carry advertising material.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

Anv qpener for cans comprising a bottom member having an upwardly extending hook portion adapted to fit beneath the rim of a can, atop member spaced .from said-bottom member, -;said top member having a downwardly extending lip, a cuttingmember comprising a base exendmg beneath said top member and a blade extending downwardly from said base adjacent said ,lip, and aspiring positioned between the base ofsaid cutting member and said'bottom member, said spring providing upward pressure against said base, said base adapted to move downwardly inst h vp i te fmsal'd spr ng w en s blade is in use, to keep said blade continually o ntin di ec d wnwa d t ward the t p .of t e ca du in the c t n .Q natio vTI QMA KASKOURA Name Date Kaskouras Dec. 7,1948

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